The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) is no longer fighting Microsoft over their acquisition of Activision Blizzard King.

The FTC has officially dropped its case against Microsoft concerning the Activision Blizzard King acquisition. On May 22, 2025, the commission filed a motion to dismiss the case, thus officially ending all attempts to prevent the biggest deal in gaming history. Microsoft had announced its intention to acquire Activision Blizzard King back in early 2022, and the FTC sued later that year. This sparked a lengthy legal battle that dragged on even after the FTC had lost its only real opportunity to block the transaction. Earlier this month, after losing their last appeal, the agency finally decided to end its legal fight.

“On May 7, 2025, the Ninth Circuit affirmed the United States District Court for the Northern District of California’s decision in FTC v. Microsoft Corp., which denied the Commission’s request for a preliminary injunction to block the acquisition of Activision Blizzard, Inc. by Microsoft Corp. The Commission has determined that the public interest is best served by dismissing the administrative litigation in this matter. Accordingly, the Commission hereby orders the complaint in this case to be dismissed.” – reads the official ruling.

Brad Smith, Microsoft’s Vice Chair and President, celebrated the outcome, stating: “Today’s decision is a victory for gamers across the country and for common sense in Washington.” He also expressed gratitude toward the FTC for its announcement. Microsoft had already closed the deal in October 2023 after the FTC’s initial challenge failed, but that didn’t stop the agency from later trying to reverse the acquisition.

The FTC also voiced concerns about some of Microsoft’s post-acquisition decisions, such as the price hike for Game Pass and the layoffs of thousands of employees.

Source: WCCFTech, The Verge